I know, I believe, I am persuaded, I am committed

Michael Koelling    

	3-16-14 First Sunday CWC

I Know, I Believe,

I Am Persuaded, I Am Committed

Week 1

Announcements-Easter-This changes everything. Our Easter service is going to be so powerful, so exciting, so anointed of God we want you to be here. We will be receiving communion.

•   Easter egg hunt outreach to our community.

First of all we are so honored to be here in Ukiah California, to be installed onto your CWC team, to be here on mission from God for such a time as this to this great community and state.

Next, I want to thank you CWC for all of your hard work dedication, service, giving, long volunteer hours in continuing this mission, remodeling of the parsonage, it's grounds, and ladies thank you for all of your culinary expertise to achieve brand new appliances in the home! Words can never express how amazing we felt in knowing that you guys were serving, building, and rallying so strong as a unified body. That speaks overwhelming volumes.

Speak about some of the upgrades of the home.

Flooring, lighting fixtures, wall plates, plug ins, a wheelchair lift, bathrooms very handicapped accessible, new showers, new doors, new hardware, tile, custom Koelling cabinets, countertops, new blinds, cabinets redone, a his and hers sink are you kidding me, knockdown on the Sheetrock, welcome mats, new paint, new trim, new window, flowers(inside and out) smoke detectors, chocolate chip cookies, brand new fencing in the front and the car port, yard work, deck work, new appliances, and are you serious groceries in the cabinet, groceries in the fridge, groceries in the freezer, in the drawers, and you guessed it groceries under the cabinets!

And almost completely debt free! God is so good and His people help to perform His purpose.

Next, I would like to thank my wife, for overwhelming me with her love, her compassion, her mercy, and for her better or worse, sickness and in health commitment to her vow. Her service and strength in this time has truly been unparalleled. Next I so appreciate my family for their sacrifices, their commitments, in joining us in this God designed endeavor, and finally my baby brother who has always been there for me in every endeavor of my life, he is truly my rock.

2 Timothy 1:12 “I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him."

Pray

1.      I know I am not ashamed.

1.      Now, I used to be ashamed, I grew up around church and when I would bring a friend I would actually pray God please don't move tonight.

1.      Please don't let people get excited, please don't let sister so in so start running around the church shaking her hands and Lord please, please, please if you care for me at all please don't let there be a message in tongues or an interpretation.

2.      Jesus if the worship gets the congregation fired up or if the Pastor's message gets to stirring people maybe I should plan our getaway now!

2.      I know what shame feels like, I have experienced it, I have made others feel threatened by it, I believe all of us have known shame.

1.      Shame believe it or not is not from God.

2.      Shame is a tool of the enemy that humanity has been battling since Adam and Eve.

3.      I know I am not ashamed because I pray God please move, God please let people see your power, let the globe experience your love, connect us to your miracle working power, and be overwhelmed by His grace amazing.

4.      I know I'm not ashamed of God, His mission, His cause, His house, nor His people because I have been giving my life to His cause.

1.      I've been made fun of, ridiculed, deserted, forsaken, and ignored because I have a love for God, and that will never separate me from Him.

1.      This I know.

2.      I know I have been saved.

1.      Saved from what?

1.      Sin.

Romans 3:23 NLT "For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard."

2.      Sin means to miss the mark, miss the standard, miss the target, miss the mold that God had set.

1.      Jesus took a step toward the ungodly, embracing the worst this planet had to offer with acceptance, love, and forgiveness.

Romans 5:6-10 NLT [6] "When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. [7] Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. [8] But God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners."

3.      Imagine you in the absolute worst, ill respected position of life then realize that was just the time Jesus looked and said, "I'll die in their place."

Romans 3:21-22,24-31 NLT [21] "But now God has shown us a way to be made right with Him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. [22] We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. [24] Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when He freed us from the penalty for our sins. [25] For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed His life, shedding His blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when He held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, [26] for He was looking ahead and including them in what He would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate His righteousness, for He himself is fair and just, and He declares sinners to be right in His sight when they believe in Jesus. [27] Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law. It is based on faith. [28] So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law. [29] After all, is God the God of the Jews only? Isn't He also the God of the Gentiles? Of course He is. [30] There is only one God, and He makes people right with Himself only by faith, whether they are Jews or Gentiles. [31] Well then, if we emphasize faith, does this mean that we can forget about the law? Of course not! In fact, only when we have faith do we truly fulfill the law."

4.      I know I have experienced salvation now I want to love people, serve people, reach people as Christ does.

1.      Everyone gives their lives for something what are we giving our lives for?

1.      I know him!

2.      I know Jesus, I want to know Him more, you are never waiting on God He is always waiting on us.

5.      Saved from torment, saved from hell, saved from wasting my life, my talent, my resource, and my vision.

1.      Saved from what people think, dream, or imagine about me.

6.      I am so thankful God is my source, God is my strength, God is my hope, God is my deliverer.

3.      I know I have been called.

1.      There might not have been a major protest in heaven when God began to declare it where all the angels entered a strike but there was some definite eyebrow raising, head turning, and head shakes.

Acts 20:24 NLT "But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus-the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God."

2. I have been called to be light in a dark place, the scripture in John 1 says, "that the light shines and the darkness can never extinguish it."

 1. I know I have been called to share love, called to share life, called to share purpose, called to share forgiveness, called to share Jesus Christ with a lost, confused, broken, selfish, culture, community, and society!

4.      I know I have experienced successes and failures.

1.      I know I can learn from them both but I believe that when we follow God closely He'll see to it that we don't allow failure to be our only experience.

1.      I know I don't have all the answers but I know who does, I know He will guide and direct our every step for His great purpose.

2.      God is still into leading His people, we read all about it in scripture well He is still operating in that same procedure if we'll listen, heed, and follow.

5.      I know we are all experiencing new beginnings.

1.      Beginnings can be fearful, they can be demanding, they can paralyze you with insecurity, inability, and discouragement.

1.      Beginnings cause some to prosper and some to enter a depression of what might have been.

2.      I know that beginnings have to be one of the most important things we do.

3.      It's imperative that we build great foundations.

1.      Strong foundations last, look at this great one we have here called CWC.

1.      Built upon the fearsome faith, courageous tenacity, strength filled backs of Christian believers to reach, teach and baptize.

6.      I know that faith shared will be strong faith.

2 Timothy 1:5 NLT "[5] I remember your genuine faith, for you share the faith that first filled your grandmother Lois and your mother, Eunice. And I know that same faith continues strong in you."

1.      Share your faith your faith will grow.

1.      Share a testimony your faith will grow and others will be inspired to believe, trust, grow, learn, and lead.

1.      Share what little I know about God and others will listen, they will respond, share my confidence in Him, share my hope in Him, share about how God has mended my every hurt, He's provided for my every need, He has shown Himself faithful in every situation I have ever encountered.

1.      Share the story to people because they need to hear that God is good, He is just, He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

1.      I know we are going to Value God.

2.      I know we are going to Value Others.

3.      I know we are going to Value the Mission.

2.      It's what we all came to do here today Jesus, focus on you, focus on your grace, focus on your goodness, focus on your mercy, focus on your sacrifice and say thank you.

2 Timothy 3:14-17 NLT "But you must remain faithful to the things you have been taught. You know they are true, for you know you can trust those who taught you. [15] You have been taught the holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus. [16] All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. [17] God uses it to prepare and equip His people to do every good work."

Jeremiah 29:11-14 NLT

[11] For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. [12] In those days when you pray, I will listen. [13] If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. [14] I will be found by you," says the Lord. "I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes. I will gather you out of the nations where I sent you and will bring you home again to your own land."

3.      God is not interested in destroying His people, He is not interested in punishing His people, He is not interested in captivity, destruction, demise, and depression.

1.      He is interested in future, He is interested in hope, He is interested in life everlasting, in us seeking Him, desiring Him, and being found by us.

Join us for our Easter Egg Hunt 

Outreach and BBQ right here at CWC